Straw buncher



H. E. HISER STRAW BUNCHER April 4,- 1939.

Filed Aug. 51, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 31,

1 Claim.

This invention aims to provide a novel dumping vehicle, adapted to be attached to any make of combine, for the purpose of catching all waste grain, chaff and straw, the vehicle being so constructed that it may dump automatically, thereby depositing the material in bunches, the construction being such that the dumping may take place at the will of an operator, to deposit the collected material in windrows. The invention aims to provide novel means for mounting and controlling the movement of the body of the vehicle, and to improve the construction of the vehicle body.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows, in top plan, a buncher constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the buncher connected to a combine, parts being broken away and parts being in section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View wherein parts appear in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing a portion of the body of the vehicle and attendant parts;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation showing the means for holding back a latch, so that the buncher will dump automatically.

In Fig. 2, the numeral I designates a combine, including a downwardly discharging member 2. The combine I has a towing bracket 3, adapted for connection with the buncher forming the subject matter of this application. A sheave A may be mounted on the combine I.

The buncher or dumping vehicle forming the subject matter of this application includes a box-like body 5, comprising a bottom 6, side walls I, and a front wall 2. The body 5 is tapered at its forward end, as shown at 9 in Fig, 1. The body 5 is open at its rear end, as designated by the numeral II) in Fig. l. The body 5 is reinforced at its upper edge by a band II, and at its 55 lower edge by an angle member I2, one flange of 1937, Serial No. 161,844

which extends beneath the bottom 6 of the body, as seen in Fig. 3.

At the rear open end I!) of the body 5, an angle member I l, including a depending flange, is secured to the rear ends of the reinforcing angle members I2. In the angle member I4, as disclosed in Fig. 2, fits a beam I5. Rearwardly extended, transversely spaced and upwardly inclined fingers I3 are provided and have angularly disposed ends II which pass through the depending flange of the angle member I4 and through the beam I5. Nuts I8 are threaded on the forward ends of the fingers I6, and, engaging the beam I5, hold the fingers I6 securely in the upwardly inclined position disclosed in Fig. 2.

The numeral I9 designates a U-shaped axle carrier. In the upstanding arms of the axle carrier I9 are mounted pivot elements 20, passing through the upstanding flanges of the angle members I2 and through the side walls I of the body 5, the body thus being pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, for vertical tilting movement, as a comparison of the solid line and dash line disclosures of Fig. 2 will make manifest.

Beneath the axle carrier I9 is located an angle bar 2|, and in the terminal portions of the angle bar 2|, the squared parts 25 of the axles 22 are seated. .Outer securing devices 23 (Fig. 3) and inner securing devices 24 join together the axle carrier I9, the angle bar 2| and the squared parts 25 of the axles 22. On the axles 22, ground wheels 26 are held for rotation.

An inverted channel-shaped tongue 21 is located midway between the sides of the body 5 and has its rear end connected to the intermediate portion of the angle bar 2|. The forward ends of rearwardly diverging braces 28 are secured at 29 (Fig. 2) to the tongue 21, the rear ends of the braces being attached by the inner securing devices 24 to the axle carrier I9, the angle bar 2| and the squared parts 25 of the axles 22. An extension 30 is mounted for longitudinal adjustment in the forward portion of the tongue 21 and has longitudinally spaced openings 3|, in any of which may be mounted a securing memher 32, such as a bolt carried by the forward end of the tongue 21, the parts last above described permitting an adjustment in the effective length of the tongue. At its forward end, the tongue extension 30 is provided with a circular head 33, cooperating with a correspondingly shaped head 34 on an upwardly inclined link 35, the heads 33 and 34 having interengaged radial ribs 36. The heads 33 and 34 are held together by a central clamping device 31, which may be a bolt. A

connecting element 38, such as a bolt, joins the forward end of the link to the towing bracket 3 of the combine I.

On that part of the reenforcing angle member l2 which extends along the front wall 8 of the body 5, spaced guides 39 are mounted, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In the guides 39, a latch is mounted for right line reciprocation and held against rotation. The latch 40 is provided with a depending finger 4| having a transverse shoulder 42 provided with an inclined end 63. An abutment 44 is secured to the latch 40. A compression spring surrounds a portion of the latch 40, one end of the spring engaging the abutment 44 of the latch 40, and the opposite end of the spring engaging one of the guides 39.

It can be determined from Fig. 4 that the spring 55 serves to advance the latch 40. When the body 5 swings down from the dash line position of Fig. 2v to the solid line position of that figure, the end 43 of the latch rides along the tongue 27, and the shoulder 42 engages beneath the tongue, to hold the body 5 in a substantially horizontal position as shown in'Fig. 2.

The operator can bring about a dumping operation by pulling on a flexible element 49, conlatch 40, the pin being in contact with one of nected to one end of the latch 40, the flexible element being extended forwardly to a convnient position on the combine I, over the sheave 4 of Fig. 2 and over an idler 58 (Fig. 4) supported at 5| 'on the reenforcing angle 12 and on the front wall 8 of the body 5.

It is contemplated not only that the body 5 shall be under the control of an operator, as to dumping, but that it may dump automatically.

In order that an automatic dumping may be brought about, the latch Ell must be held retracted, so that the shoulder 42 of the latch'will not engage beneath the tongue 27 when the body 5 swings down on' the pivot elements 21! to the horizontal position of Fig. 2. The structure for accomplishing the results alluded to may be of various kinds. For instance the latch 40 may be heldretracted through the instrumentality of a pin 41, inserted through an opening 46' in the the guides 39. The head 48 of the pin engages the said guide 39 to prevent the pin fromdropping downwardly out of place.

The body 5 is so mounted with respect to the pivot elements 20 that the body, when empty, tends to gravitate to the horizontal position of Fig. 2, the forward end of the body resting 'on the tongue 21. As material is discharged into r the body 5, from the part 2 of the combine I,

the material accumulates in the body 5 and on the fingers it, until the center of mass is behind the pivot elements 20. Thereupon, the rear end of the body 5 will swing downwardly to the'dash line position of Fig. 2, either automatically if the latch 45 is held retracted as in Fig. 5, or under the control of an operator, if the latch is permitted to respond to the spring :25. When the body 5 assumes the dash line position of Fig. 2, the fingers l5 slide along the ground, the material on the fingers being drawn ofi by contact with the ground, and the tilted body 5 of course sliding its load backwardly upon the fingers.

As has been intimated hereinbefore, the effective length of the tongue can be changed by adjusting the extension 30 longitudinally with respect to the part 27. Noting Fig. 1, it will be seen that the buncher may be offset laterally with respect to the towing bracket 3 of the combine.

This is accomplished by loosening the clamping device 37, disposing the link 35 and the tongue extension 30 at a selected angle, and then tightening up the clamping device 37, so that th ribs 35 on the heads 33 and 34 interfit.

The device hereinbefore described, shown in the drawings and hereinafter claimed is simple in construction and operation and well adapted to withstand hard use without expert attention.

It may be assembled with any combine or similar instrumentality wherewith it can be employed to advantage.

What is claimed is:

In a buncher of the class described, an axle structure, ground wheels carried by the axle structure, a body including a bottom, means for mounting the body on the axle structure for vertical tilting movement, in such position that the body, when empty, will tilt downwardly and forwardly to a substantially-horizontal load-carrying position, releasable means under the control of an operator'for holding the body in said loadcarrying position, rearwardly extended fingers attached to the rear end of the body and inclined upwardly at an obtuse angle to the bottom, the fingers constituting means for advancing a load on the body and accumulating a load on the body when the releasable mechanism holds the body in said load carrying position, and means for holding the releasable mechanism disengaged from the body, to effect an automatic dumping when a load accumulates to the rear of the body, on the fingers, the angle between the fingers and the bottom being such that when the body tilts downwardly and backwardly, the fingers will be parallel to the surface of the soil and in contact therewith, whereby the soil willwipe the load from the fingers, throughout their length, when the buncher is advanced.

HOMER E. HISER. 

